One of the biggest fears for a cat owner is losing their feline friend. Fortunately, technology has bestowed us with an invisible fence for cats. An invisible cat fence is a gadget that warns your kitty through various means when she tries to cross the boundary you have set for her.
What is an Invisible Fence for Cats? An invincible cat fence consists of two or more devices (a transmitter and a receiver are a must), where you can place a transmitter indoors or outdoors to create a safe area for your cat. The receiver resides inside a collar that activates when your furry friend crosses the fence set by you in the transmitter.
The receiver has motion sensors that can cause a sound, vibration, or electric current (shock), depending on your chosen warning. When you set an invisible fence for cats, you can expect them to stay inside the set perimeter you have created for them.
Types of Invisible Fences for Cats
In-Ground Invisible Fences
As the name implies, you need to install these fences in the ground through a wire. It might need some digging and take around a couple of hours for setup, but it creates the most effective barrier for your feline.
Wireless Invisible Fences
While wireless fences are more convenient to set up and maintain, they are less efficient than their wired counterparts. Besides, unlike in-ground invisible fences, these do not allow you to create different barrier shapes.
While it is ideal for those who do not want to dig a ditch to fix their boundary wire, it doesn’t let you customize your boundary. Moreover, wireless fences come with dead spots where signals are weak, likely letting your furball slip through the obstructed spaces.
Indoor Invisible Fences
Contrary to the two invisible fences we discussed above, indoor fences are more diminutive and affordable, covering a small area in your house. You can use them to prevent your furry friend from discovering counters, moving into specific rooms, or dashing out of the door.
Does Invisible Fence Work for Cats?
You know your cats breed better, and we understand you want to keep them safe and healthy. Before deciding to buy an invisible cat fence, you should be familiar with certain aspects.
- Invisible cat fences work excellently for some pets, but they may not affect others, particularly those who like hunting. Cats love to go after squirrels.
- If your cat frightens quickly or faces a health condition, particularly a heart or kidney disease, never try such a fence on her. We recommend discussing it with your vet friend first.
- The vibration or sound may overwhelm your cat’s senses, even if she is perfectly fine. Because she is already susceptible to her environment, it can trigger emotional pain, nervousness, and other related problems.
- On the other hand, some kitties are perfectly fine with these invisible fence devices but avoid electric shocks at all costs. Even vibrations are a no-no for some felines.
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Top 5 Best Invisible Fences for Cats
5PetSafe Deluxe In-Ground Cat Fence Review
Unlike most invisible fences created for dogs weighing 10 lbs or more, this one is specifically designed for cats 6 lbs or more.
This in-ground invisible fence offers one-third of an acre coverage out of the box, which you can extend up to 25 acres. The best part of the installation is the flexibility of attaching the wire to a standing fence or hiding it a few inches underground. You can even thread the wires via expansion joints in your driveway and make any boundary shape you like. It means you can trace the border of your backyard or make a fence around your garden.
The receiver alerts the kitty with a beep if she comes close to the perimeter. If she doesn’t retreat, she gets a static shock. It might be necessary at the start of training your feline, but it is better to go with beep-only mode after some time.
If we go through the user reviews, we find the static shock doesn’t hurt. However, there are some complaints about the collar that seems harsh for some cats. Overall, it is an excellent and effective invisible fence for cats. PetSafe’s durability, product flexibility, and superb customer service add more stars to this product’s merits.
4PetSafe Wireless Cat Containment System
If the in-ground cat fence is not your thing, why not try a wireless cat fence outdoors? The PetSafe Wireless Cat Containment System comes with an adjustable, waterproof receiver collar that easily fits felines of all types and sizes. PetSafe recommends it for pets up to 8 pounds and more with neck sizes of 6-28 inches. Moreover, you can also use the receiver with all PetSafe Wireless Fence transmitters!
The best part is its long-lasting battery that can stay live for up to 2 months. If that’s not enough, Amazon also offers an extra battery with your purchase. You get a low battery indication on the collar when the battery drains.
The PetSafe Wireless Cat Containment System allows you to teach your cat to stay inside your yard through sound alerts. When she leaves your set premises, you do not have to give her a current shock; a sound would do just fine if you are patient.
The device can cover a circular area of ½ acre. Unluckily, you cannot extend the coverage. On the other hand, you can set up this wireless fence in no time without much effort and save money on extra accessories needed for in-ground fences.
3SportDog In-Ground Invisible Fence Kit
If you own multiple pets in your house and seek an advanced invisible fence, the SportDog in-ground kit is perfect for you. SportDog has ensured its system’s durability through waterproof collars and a lightning-proof kit. It means the extreme weather won’t harm the fence kit.
Besides, the receiver will indicate if it senses a cut or break in the in-ground wire. Perhaps, an essential aspect of this invisible fence for cats is the unlimited connections to the kit. It means you can connect as many receivers (collars) to the kit as you want.
In addition, this SportDog kit has a feature that prevents your dog or cat from depleting the battery by roaming too often nearby the invisible fence. Finally, the kit offers sound, vibration, and shock warnings for you to choose any of these.
The only downside with this product is the shock factor, which the manufacturer created for dogs, basically. Therefore, it could be harsh on cats. It is definitely costlier than other similar kits on the market for cats, but it is perfect for a home that raises both cats and dogs.
2PetSafe Pawz Away Threshold Indoor Pet Barrier Review
Seeking the best wireless indoor invisible fence for cats – look no further than the PetSafe Pawz Away Pet Barrier. It is perfect for those pet parents who have to leave their cats at home.
While the Pawz Away range of Petsafe is accessible in four variants – indoor, outdoor, mini, and threshold – we will specifically discuss the indoor model. Simply install the barrier anywhere in your building that you want your feline friends to avoid.
One of the best things about this invisible fence for cats is its lightweight and comfy receiver collar. You can use it for your cats weighing 2.3 kg or more (neck sizes of 15 to 71 cm covered). The receiver collar employs gradual static correction to reach the appropriate level for your beloved feline.
Once the warning triggers, it will stop after 15 seconds, which is good for not instilling anxiety in your cat. The product uses a battery, which is long-lasting, so you do not have to worry about overnight charging.
1PetSafe Indoor Radio Fence for Cats
The last one on our best invisible fence for cats list is an affordable product from PetSafe. Yes, we are talking about the PetSafe Indoor Radio Fence For Cats, allowing you to set an off-limits section inside your premises.
As a cat owner, leaving your furry friend at home is often panicking. You reach home to a disaster and have no clue how to train your cat to prevent her from making a mess. The PetSafe Indoor Radio Fence gives you the peace of mind you have always wanted when you leave your pet at home. Installing the fence is super easy as you put the transmitter in the off-limits section of your home. When your cat goes near the fence, she gets an alert through a tone. If she continues to explore the designated section, she will have to endure a safe static correction.
Although you can create a fence of up to just a ten ft. radius, you have the liberty to boost the system’s capability through extra Indoor Radio Fence transmitters. That said, you should know the wireless system gets affected by various means like metal objects. Therefore, ensure to install your fence at a place that does not have much object interference.
Another plus point is this transmitter can work with any PetSafe In-Ground receiver collar, and you can employ it for multiple cats. In short, it is the best invisible fence for cats that stay most of the time indoors.
Tips to Find The Best Electronic Collar for Your Pet
If you have decided to buy an invisible fence for cats, choosing between an indoor and outdoor fence is the first thing to consider.
An indoor invisible fence for cats works to keep your furry friend away from a certain section inside the home. On the other hand, an outdoor invisible fence for cats allows you to contain your beloved furball within a set perimeter outside the house.
After deciding between indoor and outdoor products, the next thing is picking from in-ground and wireless fences. An in-ground invisible fence for cats requires you to set up a barrier through a wire, while the wireless fence, as the name implies, does not require any wire installation. Both are viable options, but in-ground products are more effective and cover more area, than their wireless counterparts.
The best invisible fence for cats is one that does not inflict emotional trauma on your feline. Therefore, we suggest using a collar with vibration or sound alerts and avoiding the ones with electric current (or just avoiding this function).
Finally, the price is the last thing to consider while buying the best invisible fence for cats. The market is full of invisible fences for cats, so pick the one that is more durable and feature-rich. Normally, you can buy a fence for between US$70 and US$300.
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Why You Should Install An Invisible Fence for Cats?
Like most animals, cats have their own wandering minds. Their inborn curiosity and adventuring sense guide them to do things we do not expect from them. While we believe a cat is safe inside the house, she might find the outside more tempting. When she ventures outdoors, she will not stay within your premises. She will definitely wander from neighborhood to neighborhood.
You know your kitties breed better. So, it is wise to install either an indoor or invisible outdoor fence for your cat, according to her whimsical nature. The containment fence will help keep her within your house’s boundaries.
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